It Has Been A Good Day ~

Take time to make your soul happy...

What started out as a beautiful sunny day ended up into

 a stormy wet day, but all was not lost.  The rain washed

 away the dirt and made everything look so much better. 

 My plants got watered and I never had to go outside.

  Good thing that because every time I step foot 

outside it seems like I get stung by something. Today 

I was saved from that.  Happy day indeed.

Summertime.  Means we have none of our regular TV

 shows on.  Arvid is sort of not knowing what to do.  Good

 thing though, he can watch just about anything

 and still be happy.  Just a happy man.

Tourist season is in full swing.  Today when we went

 to lunch the restaurant was parked and extremely noisy. 

 Neither Arvid nor I like to eat when there is a bunch of people

 yakking away all the time.  Too loud and very annoying. 

On my way to Home Depot to buy stuff for the hotel,

 I got soaking wet.  Did not help that on this day

 I choose to wear one of my "better" shoes.  

Should just stick to the clunky ones from now on. 

 The good thing is that here in Branson is does 

 not rain all summer long as it does in Florida.  

Soon time to call it a day for us.  Logging off and wishing 

everyone a peaceful evening and pleasant dreams.

Happiness isn't about getting what you want all the time.

It's about loving what you have and being grateful for it...

~Nadiya~

Happy Days ~

The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful;
 to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple
 pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong...

Our Memorial Day weekend we pretty good.  

We worked a little at Almost Home.  Being a quiet 

day the office was closed, but Arvid and I did go in.

Together we cleaned all 130 windows at the hotel.  

Chris and Tiffany find it very difficult to sit still as well.  

They did some work on the pool, and after a while we 

managed to make them take the rest of the day off.  

They made a BBQ at Almost Home and enjoyed 

some quiet time with family.  Arvid and I had 

lunch at home, which these days is a treat for us.  

After that Arvid took me to the movies.  We spent a couple 

of hours just laughing and totally relaxed.  My phone 

did not ring a single time.  I was very happy.

Yesterday was also a quiet day at work.  The hotel was

 full until 11am.  At that time I had one opening.  I had two

 people walking in for a room, but I refused to rent to either.  

Instead I called  a lady who had come in a few weeks ago and 

told her we finally had an opening.  By noon I had already rented

 the room.  I need the right fit of people at Almost Home.

I do not do yard work at home ever, but since the weather is

 so nice I decided to plant some flowers.  I was out for less 

than 15 minutes.  A few hours afterward I noticed that my arm 

was all red and swollen.  Once again I was stung by a spider. 

 Every time I go out in the yard I get bitten.  I knew I like concrete

 for some reason.  I like city like.  Not trees and yard stuff.

Life is good.  Everyday our little Sniff occupies more and more
of my heart.  I love him and I am grateful for him.  Sniff shows
me that it is OK to open up my heart to another kitty.

He will never be my Brutus, but on the other hand
 he is my Sniff.  One day I know I will call him my baby.
 For now Brutus is my baby and always will be, but I can
always have another baby.  Yes one day I will feel it.

To all a good day.  Remember just because we do not have exactly
 what we want does not mean we do not have what we need.

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet

~Nadiya~

Memorial Day ~

A hero is someone who has given his or her

life to something bigger than oneself...

Very pleased with the two pictures I took over the past weekend.

To many, Memorial Day, the federal U.S. holiday that takes 
place every year on  the last Monday of May, is just another excuse
 for a three-day weekend. It’s also known  as the day that marks 
the official start of summer and as a day devoted to getting great deals

 at the mall. However, the true meaning of Memorial Day  

goes far beyond barbecues and mattress sales.

The holiday began after the Civil War, and at that time was known

 as “Decoration Day.” While it was originally founded to honor the 

soldiers who died in the Civil War, today, Memorial Day is a day 

to honor all of the Americans who have died in military service.

Patriotic Americans should take a moment from their 
day of celebration and leisure to reflect on the brave sacrifices
 of those who have given their lives for this great nation. 

I have learnt that being an American is being able to follow 
your own personal calling.  As they say, to be able to do 
what you want to do is incredible FREEDOM!



CHEERS!!!  HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL!!!!

Being an American, it's the way you think
and the way you live...

~Nadiya~

Memorial Day Weekend ~

A hero is someone who understands the 

responsibility that comes with his freedom...

So Arvid said to me, "I finished all my "chores" and now 

I have so much time, I need to do something."  So he decided 

to wash our cars.  It started out as a good idea with good intentions.

Once my car was washed, he said to me, "I don't think I enjoy 

washing cars anymore.  It's not like it used to be."  Bottom line his truck 

gets taken to the car wash tomorrow.  Arvid is unique and very special.

While all of this was going on, Sniff of course was pacing 

around from window to window until he gave in and decided

 it was better to snooze.  His dada wears him out a lot.

It's a beautiful day here at home.  No place like home.

The willingness of America's veterans to sacrifice for 

our country has earned them our lasting gratitude...

~Nadiya~

Sunday ~

I've got a peaceful, easy feeling...

Our weekend began quite nicely.  Started with Arvid 

coming home and in his usual "has to be now" tone he says, 

"let's go to the Landings for a few cold ones and Kilwins ice-cream." 

 Yes, here in Branson he is very fond of his ice-cream. 

 He has a little contest thing going with Timothy, 

the son of our managers at Almost Home.  

We take them out every so often to dinner and both Timothy

 and Arvid always order the mint chocolate ice-cream.  

It's huge.  Timothy can never finish it, but Arvid as

 with everything never gives up until it's done.

We went to one of our favorite restaurants.  We sat
 as close to the water as you can get.  Of course
 without warning the rain came, and boy did it come
down hard.  We move to a more covered table.

 The rain stopped for maybe 5 minutes, and then
 it seems like the sky just opened up and it poured
 like never before.  In less than a minute we were wet.

That ended our outside sitting and took us straight into
the bar.  There we met our favorite waitress, and yes she lives
 at Almost Home with her husband.  She says to us, "should
I go ahead and reserve your usual place for this Sunday?"

She sure knows what we like and yes, Sunday we will
be back for their delicious steak.  The steak here in Branson
 is very good.  As I have said before, never have I eaten
more red meat than I have done in Branson.

Quiet day for us.  A week ago; already seems so far away.
Definitely different scenery. I do love the sight of Palm Trees
 when I wake up.  Looking forward to that soon again. Can't
wait to see one day how Sniff likes living in Florida.

To all a relaxing and peaceful day.  Here in the USA we celebrate 
Memorial Day tomorrow.  On this day take a moment to 
honor those that gave themselves for our country.  

Memorial Day isn't just about honoring veterans, its honoring 
those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. 
For us, that's a reminder of when we come home we still have a
 responsibility to serve. It's a continuation of service that
 honors our country and those who fell defending it.

America is hope. It is compassion. 
It is excellence. It is valor...

~Nadiya~

Peaceful Feeling ~

In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive

 a great deal more than we give, and that it is 

only with gratitude that life becomes rich...

So begins a lazy kind of relaxed day for us all.  Especially for Sniff.

I have to work, but Saturdays are just so easy.  Work is quiet 

and most of the tenants are still asleep during the time I am there. 

 Saturday I open the office for just 2 hours. Usually Tiffany has 

been there, but this weekend she is having some family

 visiting, so we told her "no work for you"

The best thing to have happened to Almost Home has been the arrival

 of Tiffany, Chris and their boys.  Of course Sierra (their fur baby) 

as well.  Life has been so much more relaxed.  We have had time

 to do so many things.  Like little trips to Florida for instance.

Forever grateful to them.  All we can say is, thank you

 for showing us that there are people like you in this

 world.  Together we make an AWESOME team!

Happy Saturday everyone.  What are you grateful for?

~Nadiya~

It Is What It Is ~

When it rains on your parade look up rather than down

without the rain there would be no rainbow...

Rain makes everything look beautiful and clean

 after wards. Whatever it is, I don't mind the rain.  This week I

 had quite a few things to do and of course each meant getting 

in and out of the car several times.  Goes without saying

 that by the time I was done I was also soaking wet.

Rain was not predicted in our forecast.  At least not 

this torrential rain we have had.  Little Sniff is scared, 

and I try to soothe his fears, but so far he is just running

 around in circles looking for that perfect hiding spot.  

Even though I have made him a good hiding spot, 

he is still looking for a better one.  Brutus had 

gotten more used to the rain and thunder.  

Arvid never left Brutus' side when there was thunder 

and lighting.  When we had Brutus we worked from 

home so we were constantly with him.  Now we 

are at the hotel and not as much with Sniff.

The best thing is that after the rain comes the rainbow.  Perfect and
beautiful.  It is a reminder that things will get better if we give it
 a chance and if we believe strongly enough.  Remember,
you can't have a rainbow without a little rain.

Wishing you all a day filled with all things nice.  Rain or 
shine there is always something to be happy about.
Especially, being home with the ones you love.

Anyone who thinks sunshine is pure happiness has

never danced in the rain...

~Nadiya~

And So Begins Another Busy Day ~

With wisdom comes the desire for simplicity...

Ever since we came back home it has been really busy 

at Almost Home.  We started filling the pool since

 Monday, and hopefully today it will be all done. 

 Yesterday it rained for about a half hour. Non stop. Reminded 

me of being in Florida where it rains non stop all summer long.  

Needless to say, we had extra work sweeping up the water and 

making sure the tenants did not slip and fall.  All four of us 

had a broom and worked like crazy to make it "safe"

One minute the weather was sunny and beautiful. Without

 warning the rain came together with hail.  Non stop for a 

good half hour.  In that half hour the roads were flooded, 

signs were knocked down from some buildings.  

Cable service was interrupted for about half hour also at 

Almost Home.  Let's just say the phone did not stop ringing.  

Tenants wanting to know why their TV was not working.

All I said to them was, "did you notice the very bad weather we just had?  

Lighting and hail?  Maybe that had something to do with the cable 

service being interrupted?"  Cable service was back up and

 running within the hour.  Everyone was happy again.

This has been a busy week.  Already Thursday.  I am really

enjoying being busy.  I know one day when this part of 

our lives is over I am going to miss it very much. 

Enjoying all of it right now.  There are days of course when

 I am exhausted and fed up, but then it passes and I am back to

 looking forward to seeing everyone and to being "needed"

Wishing everyone a happy Thursday.  Soon it will be weekend mode

for us all.  Always something to look forward to.  Everyday.

You may be tired and exhausted, but at least you 

woke up today.  Someone else didn't...

~Nadiya~

HappyTuesday ~

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn...

As the new day begins I can't help but say thank you, 

and for being grateful.  I look around me and I realize how

 fortunate I am.  Fortunate to have a wonderful family who no 

matter what are always there.  Thankful for good friends. 

Fortunate to have Arvid by my side to share in the good 

and not so good times.  We bounce things off each other. Makes,

 for a very interesting life.  Thankful to wake up everyday

 and knowing that Sniff is here right next to me.

As I know and as all of you may know as well, we may not

 have everything we want, but we have everything we need.

Seems like Branson skipped Spring altogether and jumped 

straight into summer.  According to the news report last night,

 we have had a record breaking warm month of May.  

Arvid is loving it as am I.  Here in Branson even when it's warm,

 we do not have the terrible humidity like we have in Florida.  

Florida is great for winter.  Branson is best in summer. 

To all a very good day.  Hopefully winter is gone and you are also

 experiencing warm summer days wherever it is that you are.

One of the greatest gifts in life is friendship, and I have received it...

~Nadiya~

Monday ~Thought For The Day...

When you’re important to another person, that person
 will always find a way to make time for you. 
No excuses. No lies. No broken promises...

When that person is really important to you remember,

 don't wait. The time will never be just right.....cease the moment.

Already Monday again.  This month has just zipped by us.  
Can’t believe the pool will be opening up next week for 
Memorial Weekend.  At least that’s the plan.  

Lots and lots of catching up to do this week.  Yes a very
 busy week awaits us.  That’s how it is.  Sniff is a happy
 boy and life is good. Let's get the week started!

Have a great day all!  As Steve Jobs said:

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped 

by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let 

the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most

 important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow

 already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.... 

~Nadiya~

Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop ~

Where is here, when is now.  The whole key to life is 
discovering things for yourself.  What you do with that 
discovery is what lies on the other side of that door...

If you ever get to Fort Lauderdale and you love tropical fruit then this
 is the place to go. What a place. You can find absolutely EVERYTHING!!
!  It's a giant indoor and outdoor flea market with  a free circus, amusement
 rides, video arcade, and drive-in movies and much more.

Not my usual place to go but, if you need to frame a picture there are quite a few

 galleries also,  if you have some time to kill and just want to be amazed by the 

thousands of vendors with everything you can imagine it's the place to go...

Check out the link and you'll see what I mean:

Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop

Just take a look at these pictures and you will have an idea of what it's all about.

Yes, if you are in the search for a stun gun...search no more you will find it here.  

Want a sports car well you're in the right place.  Want to go to the movies?  

No problem because it has 15 screens...

If you are like me and love fresh vegetables and all kinds of tropical
 fruit then you've come to the right place.....Just take a look at the
 marketplace and some of the  fruit I was able to snag. will be 
having a feast tonight and for the next few days...a fruit feast!!

There is so much more you can find if you have the time and want to 

spend all that energy fighting the crowd and the heat......just have a look.
Looking at the pictures makes me want to go there right now.

 You are not mistaken you can even find a pet here....

So next time you are in Fort Lauderdale and have time on your hands...

the Swap Shop might be the place to spend it....cheap and different if you

 are into that.  You might even find the Blues Brothers there....ENJOY!!

Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything.

 Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. 

Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. 

Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem 

and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human...

~Nadiya~

One Of Those Days ~LIFE

All it takes is one song to bring back 1000 memories...

A flashback inn time.  Left me with nostalgia today.

I don't usually believe all this "nonsense", but today it has left me wondering.

Sometimes all it take to bring back memories
is a smell, a song or just plain tiredness.

Like everyone, I have memories to last a lifetime.  Many are
 now safely tucked away somewhere far away, but always
available and with each day new memories are made.

Remember you can't create new moments if you are busy
 with your past memories.  This I remind myself of quite often.
 So have a great day and make great memories...

Make each moment count and have a great weekend ahead!


Don't allow yourself to wake up with yesterday's issues
troubling your mind.  Refuse to live backwards, see
everyday as a new chapter. Make today 
ridiculously amazing....

~Nadiya~

Happy Birthday In Heaven Brutus And Shadow ~

The most painful tears are not the ones that fall from 
your eyes and cover your face, it's the ones that 
fall from your heart and cover your soul...

Perhaps the greatest gift an animal has to offer 

is a permanent reminder of who we really are.

I will never stop saying that the day Brutus came into our
lives was one of the best days ever.  Today our little baby would
 have turned 12.  Brutus died when he was only 9 years old.

Both Arvid and I were hoping for so many more with him,
but the 9 years we had will forever be one of the best times of our
 lives and the memories we have of Brutus will never be gone from
 our hearts.  He was my baby and I will forever miss him.

I will always say, Brutus made Arvid a better person. Being a cat
lover and having had cats before, I knew exactly what was going
 to happen, but seeing Arvid change and become a more patient, caring
 and nurturing person right before my eyes was something amazing.
 Arvid is a new person and he himself will tell you that it is due
 to Brutus.  May 17th will always be special to me.

Today little shadow would have also turned 3.  He never made it to
his first birthday, but for the short time we had him with us, he was
fierce and fearless.  I hope today Shadow and Brutus are together
over the so called Rainbow Bridge.  Playing and having fun,
knowing that their mama and dada loves them very much.

Happy birthday Brutus and Shadow.  Mama and dada love 
you forever. As the saying goes, until one has loved
 an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.

Wishing you all a good day and remember.  
Grab life by the tail, and then pet it.

Your pet is not your friend.  It is your hostage.
When I am feeling low, all I have to do was watch Brutus, 
Shadow and  now Sniff and my courage returns....

~Nadiya~

It Is What It Is ~

More people would learn from their mistakes

if they weren't so busy denying them....

Who can claim to have not made mistakes in their lives?

I for one can't.  I have made many mistakes, and unfortunately I
know that there are so many more I will probably make.

What I do know for sure is that every time I make a mistake I would

like to believe that I have learnt from the experience.  Can't promise

not to EVER do the same thing again, because we all know that 

mistakes are a part of life, but at the same time we all hope to learn from them.

Some mistake we hope we never make again, some most likely we will.
As the saying goes, mistakes are proof that you are trying. The
worst mistake anyone can make is being afraid to make one.,

It's crazy how you can do nice things for people all 
the time an they never notice.  But once you make one 
mistake it's NEVER FORGOTTEN....

~Nadiya~

Sunday~ May 13th ~ Mother's Day

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. 

A dream you dream together is reality...

As usual Sundays are days to relax and just be lazy

 around the house.  Most of the day we spend in our pajamas 

until we have to get out of the house four our Sunday meal

 and outing.  Perfect day as far as we are concerned.

Happiness is a sunny day and right now we will be having 

lots of it. Wishing everyone a beautiful and relaxing day.  Remember

 to always make  your own sunshine and to never depend

 on anyone but yourself to make you happy.

Just look at Sniff.  No worries at all.  He is a happy boy all the time.

And as you can see, he's all prepared for some sunny days ahead.

Here in the United States we celebrate Mother's Day today.  Here is to 

my mom, my sisters and definitely, Anna and all the moms.  Enjoy your 

special day.  The sacrifices you make for us, only a mother knows.

My mom was and still is my greatest teacher, 

a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness.  Because of her

 and my dad I am the woman I am today, and I like the

 woman I am.  Thank you for shaping my life. 

Life began with me waking up and loving my mother's face.

No matter how old I get, I always want my mom when I don't feel good...

~Nadiya~